Automatic safety device.



G. E. THURBER. AUTOMATIU SAFETY DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 3, 1911.

P afiented July 9, 1912.

H j 1 a SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Q I I I 21'! J .il l

Gegvge E Thwbz s.

G. E. THURBER. AUTOMATIC SAFETY DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. a, 1911.

1932,033 Patented July 9, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

03 H H N W 9 i v Y Q In n (D (0 I 0 I avwemto'c WWW Q F 2 (Saqggz iThumz r. M 7:77 (O53, J$/ 5%? w 12 Oz. 2W2. 7 Ww G. E. THURBBR.

AUTOMATIC SAFETY DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAB. a, 1911.

1,032,033. Patented July 9, 1912.

I 3 BHEETB-SHEBT 3.

O n l m 3 Pb awue/wboz W e UM eovz us as.

nary car and which will serve to automati- ITNFLLLE TATE PAFENF QFFIQ GEORGE E. THURBER, OF MICHIGAN CITY, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR F ONE-HALF TO EDWIN J. BOWER, OF MICHIGAN CITY, INDIANA.

AUTOMATIC SAFETY DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 3, 1911. Serial No. 612,000.

and has particular reference to an improved device especially adapted for use upon roads having electricity for their motive power.

. The. leading object of my invention is the provision of an improved appliance for use upon single track, electric roads which Wlll serve to prevent collisions upon said roads.

I A further object of the invention is the provision of an appliance of this character which may be readily attached to an ordically cut' off the power supply from the driving motor of the car and will further serve to apply the brakes to the car to stop the progress of both cars when two cars enter into the same block.

In the attainment of the objects of my invention, I have illustrated one of the physical embodiments of my invention as applied to an electric car, although itwill be understood that the device is equally applicable to apply the brakes on a steam or otherwise propelled car so long as the electric power is supplied for the local circuit.

It will be further understood that I reserve the right to make any changes or medlfications in the details of construction of my invention lying within the scope of my claims and that I may make said -cl'ianges without departing from or exceeding the spirit of my invention.

Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a port-ion of the track way with a pair Ofcars mounted on the rails of the track way and equipped with my appliances. Fig. 2 rep-- resents a diagrammatic top plan. view of the ears and attachments shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents a longitudinal vertical sectional view of the car with my improved appliance -semi-diagrammatieally shown there in. Fig. 4t represents a crosssectionalview of the par. Fig. 5 represents an enlarged detail end view of the trolley. Fig. (3 representsa diagrzmnnatie View *of the two motor circuits. Fig. 7 represents a diagrammatic view of'the complete circuit of the supplemental or local circuit, and Fig. 8 represents a diagrammatic view of the course followed by the main current upon the releasing of the automatic closing switch occasioned by the closing of the local. circuit.

In the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the road bed on which are mounted the'rails 2 for the'wheels 3 of the cars 1. Secured to the roof of each car is the main trolley 5 having its wheel 6 engaging the main current wire 7 supported by the insulated bracket 8 depending from the arm 9 of the post 10.

Depending from the arms 9 adjacent the brackets 8 are the brackets 11 supporting the supplemental wires 12, said wires being.

formed in sections or blocks separated from each other by the insulations .13 and the blocks being stepped with respect to each other, as most clearly shown in Fig. 2. Se cured to the roof of the car is the second trolley 1t hearing at its upper end the U-shaped member or yoke 15 having on each arm a trolley wheel 16 engaging one of the wires 12.

Leading downward into the car from the trolley 5 is the-wire 17 having its lower end secured to one of the contacts 18 of the circuit breaker 19 having a second contact 20. Secured to the contact 20 is a wire 21 leading through the controller 22 to the motor for driving the car, said motor having a ground wire 24:.

Leading from the wire 17 is the shunt wire 25 extending to the motor 26 having the ground connection 27. The shaft 28 of said motor projects from each side of the motor into the magneto-generators 29 and 30, the generator 29 having one of its terminals groundedby the wire 31, while the other terminal is connected in series by the wire 32 to the. generator 30, a wire 33 leading from the free :terminal of the generator 80.

The above described circuits of the car driving and generator driving motors are most clearly illustrated in the diagrammatic View thereof in Fig. 6, while the circuit of'the generators is similarly set; forth in Fig. 7.

Patented ma o, 1912.

I form the various generators of the difie'rs switch to the magnet 36 and thence upward to the trolley 14 to connect the trolley wheels 16 with the generator.

When one of the trolley wheels 16 is upon the same block of the wire 12 as one of the supplemental trolley Wheels 16 of another car the circuit of the current sent to the trolley by the generator will pass along said block of the Wire and be grounded through the supplemental trolley and its circuit and generator on the other car.

To prevent neutralization of the currents from the two generators of the opposite cars ent cars of. different phases so that-there will at all times be a current flowing, from the ground of the generator of one car'through the generators wiring and supplemental trolley of the one car, the block of wire'and the trolley, wiring and generator of the other car when the trolleys of the two cars are on the same block.

- It will be understood that said flow of the current will energize theelectro-magnets 36 of the two cars. Pivoted on thestuds 37 are the bars 38 "having the armature portion 39 on one end adapted to be attracted by the magnet 36 to swing the bar on its pivot, and having on the other end the latch portion 40 normally retainin'g the switch member 41 open against the tension of the spring 42 which tends to close the switch. 'Upon' the actuation of the magnet 36 the bar 38 will be swung to release the member 41 which will then'close the circuit between the shunt wire 43 leading from the wire 25 and the wire 44.

The circuit .thus closed will be most clearly. understood by reference to Fig. 8, from which it will-be seen that a portion of the current fromthe trolley 5 will pass through the wire 17 and the shunt wires 25 and 43 and through the switch 41 into the wire 44 leading'to the-electro-magnet 45: The current-will energize said magnet 45 to cause it'to'draw down the armature 46 which breaker19 .to move the latter to open the circuit of the motor and thus check the further.

movement of the car. The current is conducted from themagnet 45' by the wire 47 leading to the solenoid-48, energizing said solenoid to draw inward'its core 49, a ground wire 50 leading from .the solenoid. Secured to the outer end of the core 49 is the link 51 connected to the arm,

52 of the .air brake valve 53, said valve being located in the air pipe 54 of the car and the inward drawing of the cord serving' to open the valve to throw on the length apart. To start the car after hasbeen so stopped it is'necessary to first-open 1 the switch 34 which will cut out theglocal current from the magnet 36, when the automatic closing switch 41 can: be opened and locked in open position.' The circuit breaker From the'foregoing description taken-in connection with'the drawings, the construction and operation of my improved automatic safety appliance will be readily understood and it will be seen that I provide a device which can be readily installed in a simple and efli'cient in operation and will be car of ordinary construction which will be of construction and operation which can be comprehended by the motorman of the car and which will preventthe motorman from running his car in'the block at-full speedin disregard of the signal as frequently occurs when merely a visual o'r detonating alarm is provided for indicating the presence-of the second car in the block; v f

It will-be further understood that while I have illustrated my improved safety device as a combined signaling device, a cut out for the driving motor, and an automatic brake applyin'q device, that it may be employed to perform anyone of these functions separately of said functions.

While I have-illustrated the device "as used upon an electrically propelled car it is equally applicable for certain of its func tions for'u se upon steam or otherwise propelled cars,:in as much as the controlling current is entirely independent of the motive power and is supplied from" a local source of electrical energy. I I When the device is applied to other than electrically propelled cars the local current serves .both to operate an indicating means as shown and to operate the air brake valve.

as employing an oterheadtrolley wire 12 it trolley of a second car on the same block of the controlling wire, it'is apparentthat any groundihg of the wire 12 will suflice to cause the operation of thesignaling and braking mechanism; 4

I claim: 4

- 1. In-a safety appliance for railways, the

\combination with acar, of a motor for driving the same anpelectric line forsupplying current to the motor, a normally closed circuit breaker in said line, a branch lineleading from the motor supply line,

Wil1 b6 understoodlthat said wire ma be" or any desiredcombination i Althoughl have illustrated my invention 4 closed switch for the for holding the switch open, an electromagent in the branch line operatively connected with the circuit breaker of the motor supply line to open said line, a partial electric circuit carried by the car, nleans'for closing the .circuit upon the approach'of a second car, a local source of current-tor the circuit, and means operated by the closing of the local circuit for releasing the switch of the branch circuit to allow it to close, the branch circuit actuating the electro-magnet therein to operate the circuit breaker of the motor supply line.

2': The combination with a car, of a motor an automatically branch line, means 'for 'driiling the same, an electric circuit for supplying current to the said motor, a branch circuit leading from the main elec- Oopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by

tric circuit and including a supplemental motor, a partial circuit on the car including generators, connections between the supplemental motor and the generators for operating the latter, electrically operated train controlling mechanism carried by the car, and located in the branch circuit, a spring switch in the branch circuit, means for bolding the switch open against the closing force of the spring, and'means operated by the closing of the partial circult of the generators for releasing the holding means.

In testimony whereof I atfix my signature,-

in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE E.'THURBER. Witnesses:

EDWIN J. Bowen, WILLIAM SCHINEN.

addressing the Commissioner of latents,

Washington, I). G. 

